In my years as a lecturer and researcher, I’ve often wished someone was there to offer advice or simply share stories about their journey. When there was someone to do that for me, it was a huge help and comfort. So here I pen down here my candid thoughts on the experiences and milestones I have gone through. I hope that, whether it is wise sagely advice or simply laughing over shared experiences, it may help somebody along in their journey.
Faculty Awards 2024 – FTEA & FAME
Jan 2024
Ceremony details
First presentation at a pedagogical conference
Dec 2023
HECC2023
Starting a lab – for real?!
Aug 2023
ABEL
ONL231
May 2023
Signing up and experience
Faculty Awards 2023 – FTEA
Jan 2023
Ceremony details
Advisor and Chaperone
Dec 2022
BSGC and DGSS
An unpleasant conference experience
Jul 2022
Racism at ISBE2022
Creating my first Teaching Video
Jan 2022
How I developed mine… and link
Advisor to the LSS
Aug 2021
The story
Developing a Teaching Philosophy
Dec 2021
How I developed mine…
HUGE NEWS: I’m now a Lecturer!
1 Jul 2021
I am really excited to finally be able to announce that I am now a Lecturer at the Department of Biological Sciences in NUS! I’m still working in the same building (and actually the same office although sitting at a different table), but doing something different now. Teaching has always been a big passion for me (even as a Research Fellow in Antonia’s lab, I kept looking for chances to guest lecture) and this is a huge opportunity. It’s a real dream come true and I’m super excited!
When I was 8, my parents asked me what I wanted to be and I said: “a university lecturer”. Today, that dream came true… #BlessedAndGrateful
@ianzwchan July 1, 2021
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to be a “university lecturer”. I love teaching and making a difference in the lives of others and this is a huge opportunity for me to do just that! I’ll still be involved in research on animal colours and behaviour (still working on 2 papers and co-supervising an Honours student) but perhaps a little less now, and balanced with pedagogical research.
To all of you who are considering their future – whether you are graduating soon, just graduated, or already an RF for a few years – hang in there! Keep your options open, take little steps at a time, and just keep choosing the best option along the way. You can do it!
Featured in the Straits Times – am I famous yet!?
20 Jun 2021
A HUGE HIGH in my academic career – our work was featured in an article in Singapore’s leading newspaper, the Straits Times! It really helps with the imposter syndrome thing (although it still doesn’t totally go away). But I think somewhere along the way, we just have to realise that we are who we are. We don’t know everything there is to know about our field, but we do know a fair bit. If the world wants to call us an “expert” because of that, that’s great! But deep inside, we know that we are just explorers on a never-ending journey to learn just a little bit more.
Huge shout out to all my co-authors: we could never have done this without every single one of us working together! CONGRATULATIONS!
Hired: Research Fellow!
1 April 2019
It’s not an April Fool’s joke – I have a job! I have joined Antonia Monteiro’s Evolutionary Development Lab at the National University of Singapore as a Research Fellow! The lab focuses mainly on the development of butterfly eyespots and colours using molecular tools such as CRISPR) and I will be looking forward to learning about these techniques, even as my main work will remain somewhat closer to my training.
It wasn’t an easy process, and so many questions went through my mind at different times… Academia? Industry (see this documentary by the Cheeky Scientist)? Stay in my lab? Move away from NUS? Am I really a scientist!? I want to encourage you… you can do it! Just Keep Your Chin Up!
Graduating…
December 2018
It’s done! It’s been a real pain in the bum, navigating all the formatting issues, the various forms to fill and timings to meet … but it’s finally done! Holding that thesis in my hands, fresh from the printers, I was (almost) as proud as when I first held Anzel (my firstborn son) in my hands.
In this post…
and advice on how to prepare for your Defence.
Published! Am I a real scientist now!?
The first paper!
(or How to Survive Peer Review)
December 2018
After a ONE YEAR LONG review process, I finally published my first paper (from my PhD)! It was a pretty big part of my research and it really feels like my work has been validated (in no small part because it was a pretty good journal, even if I do say so myself, *ahem*).
But after a whole year of four reviewers, three submissions, two revisions (and a partridge in a pear tree), I think I’ve come out from it slightly wiser (and a lot more jaded) about the peer review process. So I’d like to share the lessons I’ve learnt in the hope that it’ll help you through publishing your first (or perhaps umpteenth) paper.
The final year…
December 2017
This is when things get really tough. I’ve heard so many of my forebears talk about it and seen its effects first-hand in a few friends, but only now as I go through it do I realise how easy it is to become borderline depressed. This is a topic I have come to feel really strongly about, and that’s why I spoke about it at my opening address at the 22nd Biological Sciences Graduate Congress on 19 Dec 2017.
Depression amongst graduate students is an issue that we should be more aware of. It’s not something to be ashamed about and if you are experiencing it today, do reach out to your friends and family around you, or else, to the healthcare experts in your university.
First big conference!
August 2016
The International Society for Behavioural Ecology had its 16th (biennial) congress (ISBE2016) in Exeter University and I attended (and presented a poster)! Exciting stuff!
It was pretty intimidating to be honest: first time at such a big conference (looked like at least 500 people) and interacting with so many big scientists, including Naomi Pierce (from Harvard University) and Roger Hanlon (of cuttlefish fame). Especially alone, it can be tempting to just keep to yourself, disappear after the conference and not talk to anyone. But that’s the last thing you should do!
If you’re attending your first conference soon, here are three things I wish someone had shared with me before I attended mine…
QE: checked!
May 2016
Look out world! Ian Z.W. Chan is officially a Doctoral Candidate!
It was stressful, but you know, it turned out that it wasn’t as rough as I thought it would be. If you’re preparing to take your Qualifying Examination soon, here are a few things that may help …
Things (not) to do in the first year of your PhD
August 2015
It’s been a year since the start of my PhD and it seems like I’ve checked of all the items on this list (well, almost). In the interest of having a laugh at myself, here’s a list of things I did in the first year of my PhD …
Should I do a PhD?
August 2014
Should I do a PhD? What’s the point of studying for another 4 years? Will you be over-qualified for most jobs when you graduate? At the end of my undergrad degree, I had a tough decision to make and I chose the PhD. Looking back, would I still do the same thing now? For those who may be in a similar position, here’s my take on the choice (with the advantage of hindsight).